Description: 'A devil and a popish one at that' Offers a convincing reassessment of Richelieu's ministerial career. Includes an examination of Richelieu's rise to power. Explores Richelieu's political objectives. This concise and up-to-date assessment of Richelieu's career provides an enthralling introduction to the character and exercise of his power. Richelieu governed France for 18 years until his death and until the mid-20th century was viewed by Anglo-Saxon historians as cold, clever and ruthless. Recent interpretations have been more favorable and in this incisive study R. J. Knecht uses recent research to reassess Richelieu's career and achievements. And, as the other titles in the "Profiles in Power" series, this is not a full blown biography, though inevitably it contains much biographical material, it instead analyzes the major features, achievements and failures of Richelieu's career.

R.J. Knecht has written extensively on French history and his publications includes" the Rise and fall of Renaissance France" (1996) and" The French Civil Wars 1562-1598" (2000).

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